Dispensing and printing machine.



U. A. ALDEN.

DISPENSING AND PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HOV.5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR 437 (342M111, ARM

ATTORNEV MMFW a anAHw cc mumamocmmma WASHINGTON, D C.

c. A. ALDEN. DISPENSING AND PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1909.

Patented Mar. 1,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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G. A. AL

DEN.

DISPENSING AND PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 1,1910.

3SHEETS-SHBET 3.

18 T/ /jg INVENTOR WjnvsssE CHARLES A. ALDEN, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPENSING AND PRINTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filedflovember 5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

Serial No. 526,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. ALDEN, citizen of the United States,residing at Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new i and useful Improvements inDispensin and Printing Machines, of which the following is aspecification. j

The object ot'my invention is to provide a novel, simple and etlicientmachine for printing and dispensing tickets or other articles.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts which will, be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a longitudi nal vertical section throughmy improve-fl dispensing and printing machine. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsection on line 3- 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail, showing parts of theprinting mechanism shown in Fig. 3, in a different position. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of thedischarging member, removed. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of several ofthe tickets and rod extending therethrough.

4; designates a lower casing or base adapted to rest upon any suitablesupport, and 6 designates an upper casing or magazine. The upper casingor magazine 6 comprises a top wall 7, side walls 8, 8, and end walls 9,9, the bottom of the magazine being open. The magazine 6 is hinged, asat 10, to the lower casing &, whereby the magazine may be swung upwardlyon its hinge to afford access to the interior thereof; and the magazinemay be locked down upon the support 1 by passing a pin or other suitablelocking means through alined perforations in lugs 11, 11 on the lowercasing 4t and a lug 12 on the upper casing 6. i

The magazine 6 is adapted to contain the articles to be successivelydispensed or discharged from the machine. In the drawings, tickets 13are shown as the articles to be dispensed. These tickets 13 are arrangedin vertical series and supported one upon the other, the ticketsoverlapping each other in the central portion of the magazine andextending from their overlapping portions in alternate succession inopposite directions, as shown.

The vertical series 01 tickets 13 is sup ported within the magazine 6 bya member 1 1 engaging the bottom of the lowermost ticket 13; andextending through centrallyarranged, vertically-aimed openings in theoverlapping portions of the tickets 13 is a rod 15. The upper end of therod 15 is screwed into the top 7 of the magazine 6, and the lower freeend 01. the rod extends below the lowermost ticket 13.

The member 14: not only supports the series of tickets 13, but, as willbe hereinafter described, it is designed to be operated to successivelydischarge the tickets from the magazine, the series of tickets restingupon the member 1 1 after each ticket has been discharged. It will thusbe seen that as the tickets are successivelydischarged from themagazine, the entire series of tickets moves downwardly theretln'ough.Therefore, in order to guide the tickets 13 during their downwardmovement, and prevent their lateral displacement about the axis of therod 15, I provide laterally disposed guide rods 16 which are screwedinto the top 7 of the magazine 6 and extend downwardly therefromadjacent the sides of the tickets 13.

The tickets are adapted to feed downwardly by their own weight, and theproper downward feed of the tickets is insured by a weight 17 whichrests upon the uppermost ticket and is provided with acentrally-arranged hole through which the rod 15 tends.

The discharging member 11 comprises side bars 18, 18, connected by endbars 19, 19, the side bars having inwardly-p1."ojecting,oppositely-disposed parts 20, 20, which extend beneath the lowermostticket 13 ad jacent and beyond the overlapping portion thereof, tosupport the series of tickets within the magazine 6. The side bars 18,18 of the member 1 1 are arranged. outwardly of the tickets 13 and guiderods 16, and are slidably fitted to horizontal grooves 21 in guides 22formed on the support 411, in a manner to permit the member 1 1 to bemoved back and forth the grooves 21 to move the parts 20, 20 from theposition shown on one side of the central rod beyond the overlappingportions of the tickets 13 to the other side of the rod beyond theoverlapping portions of the tickets; the space between the oppositeedges of the ticket-supporting parts 20, being sufIicient to permit themto pass the central rod 17.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the member 14occupies the position shown in the drawings in which the parts 20, 20extend beneath and support the lowermost ticket 13 to the left of theoverlapping portion thereof, the member 14 may be moved to the right tomove the parts 20, 20 beneath said overlapping portion to a D positionout of engagement with the lowermost-ticket and beneath the nextadjacent ticket to the right of its overlapping portion; therebyreleasing the lowermost ticket and permitting it to fall from themagazine 6.

Andwh en the member 14 ismoved back to its previous position on the leftof the overlapping portions, another ticket will be dis- I charged fromthe magazine. It will thus be seen that as the member 14 is moved fromside to side of the overlapping portions of V and leading to an openin24 in a wall 25 of the support. The lower end of the chute terminates ina shelf 26 onto which the falling tickets are received and from whichthey may be removed by hand.

It will be observed that. the series of tickets 13 is supported onlybeneath the central portion thereof. Therefore, in order to preventundue sagging of the ends of the tickets I arovide flat S)ll11 'S 27 27the u )er l l a a a l 1 ends of which are secured to the top 7 of themagazine and the lower ends of wlnc'h engage the ends of the ticketsnear the bottom of the series, as shown.

The back and forth movement of the member 14 to discharge the tickets iseffected by the following means: One of the end bars 19 of the member 14is provided with a centrally-aranged pin 28 the lower end of whichcarrles a roller 29 engaging the walls of an endless groove '30 in theperiphery of a cam 31 fixed to a horizontal shaft 32 rotatably mountedin walls 33 and 34 of the support 4. The contour of the groove is suchthat y when the cam 31 is turned a half revolution the roller 29 willtravel in the groove 30 to the opposite end of the cam 31, therebymoving the discharging member 14 beneath the overlapping portions of thetickets 13 to I the opposite side thereof,to discharge the lowermostticket as previously explained;

and when the cam 31 is turned to complete its revolution, the roller 29will travel in the groove around the cam 31 to its previous position,thereby moving the member 14 back to discharge another ticket from themagazine. The shaft 32 is provided with a fixed gear wheel in mesh withan idler 36 secured to a shaft 37 rotatably mounted in the walls 33 and34 of the support. The idler 36 is in mesh with a gear wheel 38 fixed toa shaft 39 which is rotatably mounted in the wall 34 and in a bracket 40rising from a wall 41 extending between the walls of the support 4. Theshaft 39 extends through and beyond the wall 34 and has fixed thereto acrank 42 provided with a suitable handle 43 by means of which the shaft39 may he turned. The turning of the gear wheels 35 and 38 is such thatduring each complete revolution of the shaft 39 the cam 31. through itsconnections with the shaft 39. will be turned a half revolution. It willthus be seen that each time the handle is turned forwardly a completerevolution. :1 ticket will be discharged from the machine. as previouslyexplained.

In order to prevent backward movement of the main shaft 39 and itsconnections, 1 provide said shaft with a ratchet wheel 44. the teeth ofwhich are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 45 pivoted, as at 46. to thewall 33 of the support 4.

During the discharging operation just described and prior to theejection of each ticket 13 from the magazine 6. the ticket is providedwith suitable printed matter-such, for example, as a number, a date,etcwhich is printed upon the lower face of the ticket by the followingmeans.

Arranged below the series of tickets 13 is a member 47, the lower end ofwhich is slidably fitted to an opening in a guide bracket 48 secured tothe wall 41 and the upper end of which is slidably fitted to an openingin the floor of a depression 49 formed in the floor of the chute 23, ina manner to permit the member 47 to be moved vertically in its guidestoward and from the overlapping portions of the tickets 13.

The upper end of the member 47 carries a suitable printing device orblock 50, which is provided with a downwardly extending shank secured bya set screw 51. within an opening in the upper end of the member 47. Theupper face of the block 50 is provided with the usual raised type 52 ofthe desired characters to be printed upon the tickets. The upper face ofthe block 50 is also provided with a centrally-arranged hole 53 thereinfor the reception of the lower projecting end of the rod 15 when themember 47 is raised to bring the type into engage ment with theoverlapping portion of the lowermost ticket 13.

The type 52 is supplied with ink by means of a suitable inking pad 54which is secured to a pin 55 extending into openings in the side wallsof the depression 49. The lower face of the pad 5 1 is provided with inkand rests normally upon the type 52, being held in that position by itsown weight and by a weight 56 fixed to and depending from the pivot pin55.

During the raising of the printing device into engagement with theticket 13, the inking pad 54: is swung back on its pivot through anopening 57 in a wall of the depression 49, out of the path of movementof the printing device, from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to theposition shown in Fig. st. And during the lowering of the printingdevice 50 from engagement with the ticket 16, the action of the weightcauses the inking pad 541- to swing downwardly upon its pivot intoengagement with the type 52. The type is thus automatically suppliedwith ink between each printing operation.

It will be observed that the inking pad 5 1 is made triangular in crosssection and is so arranged that when the pad is in normal position,resting upon the type 51, the inclined top of the pad 54 will be inalinement with the inclined floor of the chute 23, sub stantiallyfilling the opening of the depres' sion 19 therein and forming in effecta part of said floor to receive tickets falling from the magazine 6.

The inking and printing operations just described are effected by therotation of the main shaft 39 of the machine.

The central portion of the member 47 is expanded, as at 5-9, and saidexpanded portion is provided with an elliptical opening ('30 therein.Arranged within said opening and engaged with the upper and lower wallsthereof is an eccentric 61 mounted 011 the shaft 39 to which it issecured by a set screw 62. It will thus be seen that when the shaft 39is turned, the rotation of the cc centric 61 will raise and lower themember 50 to operate the inking and printing devices as hereinafterdescribed. It will also be seen that the timing of the operation of theeccentric 61 by the shaft 39 with respect to the operation of the cam 31also operated from the shaft 39 is such that the printing device 50 willbe raised and lowered during each half revolution of the cam roller 31,the space between the ticket-supporting parts 20, 20 permitting theengagement of the type with the overlapping portion of the lowermostticket 13 during the passage of the parts 20, 20 beneath saidoverlapping portion.

From the foregoin description it will be seen that each time t eoperating handle is turned a complete revolution, a ticket will beprinted and discharged from the magazine 6 and will be received upon theshelf 26.

Although I have herein shown and de scribed my invention in a desirableand practicable form, the same may be greatly modified without departingfrom the invention.

I claim 1. The combination of a magazine pro vided with vertical guidingwalls and a dis charge opening in the lower portion thereof, a series ofarticles supported one upon the other Within said magazine and movabletoward said opening, said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their overlapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having an opening therein alined verticallywith openings in adjacent articles, a vertically arranged memberprojecting into the alined openings in said articles, and a dischargingmember having a part supporting said series and movable in twodirections from a position beneath the overlapping portions of saidarticles to positions beneath the parts of said articles extending fromtheir overlapping portions.

2. The combination of a magazine provided with vertical guiding wallsand a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof, a series ofarticles supported one upon the other Within said magazine and movabletoward said opening, said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their overlapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having a perforation therein alinedvertically with perforations in adjacent articles, a vertically arrangedrod supported at its upper end and projecting through said perforationsand having a lower free end, and a discharging member having a partsupporting said series and movable in two directions from a positionbeneath the overlapping portions of said articles to positions beneaththe parts of said articles extending from their overlapping portions.

3. The combination of a magazine provided with vertical guiding wallsand a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof, a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and movabletoward said opening, said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their overlapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having a perforation therein alinedvertically with perforations in adjacent articles, a verticall arrangedrod supported at its upper end and projecting through said perforationsand having a lower free end, and a discharging member including sidebars having parts extending beneath and supporting said series, saidparts having a clearance space therebetween for said rod and said'memherbeing movableln two directions to bring said parts from a positionbeneath the overlapplng portions of said articles to positions f beneaththe parts of said articles extending from their overlapping portions.

4. The combination of a magazine including vertically arranged guidingrods and a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof, a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and guided bysaid rods to move toward said opening, said articles overlapping eachother and extending from their overlapping por tions in alternatesuccession in different directions and each article having an open ingtherein alined vertically with o enings in adjacent articles, avertically arranged member projecting into the alined openings in saidarticles, and a discharging member having a part supporting said seriesand movable-in two directions from a position beneath the overlappingportions of said articles to positions beneath the parts of saidarticles extending from their overlapping portions.

The combination of a magazine including vertically arranged guiding rodsand a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof, a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and guided bysaid rods to move toward said opening, said articles overlapping eachother and extending from their overlapping portions in alternatesuccession in different directions and each article having a perforationtherein alined vertically with perforations in adjacent articles, avertically arranged'rod supported at its upper end and projectingthrough said perforations and having a lower free end, and a dischargingmember having a part supporting said series and movable in twodirections from a position beneath the overlapping portions of saidarticles to positions beneath the parts 7 of said articles extendingfrom their overlapping portions.

6. The combination of a magazine provided with vertical guiding wallsand a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof, a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and movabletoward said opening, said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their overlapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having an opening therein alined verticallywith openings in adjacent articles, a vertically arranged memberprojecting into the alined openings in said articles. and a dischargingmember having a part supporting said series and movable in twodirections from a'position beneath the overlapping portions of saidarticles to positions beneath the parts of said articles extending from1 their overlapping portions, and hand operated mechanism arranged tooperate said member.

7. The combination of a magazine provided with vertical guiding wallsand a discharge openii'ig in the lower portion thereof. a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and movabletoward said opening, said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their over-- lapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having an opening therein alined verticallywith openings in adjacent articles, a vertically arranged memberprojecting into the alined openings in said articles, a dischargingmember having a part supporting said series and movable in twodirertions-from a position beneath the overlapping portions of saidarticles to positions beneath the part of said articles extending fromtheir overlap ping portions, a rotatable shaft, and means operated byturning said shaft in one diree tion for moving said member in its twodirections.

8. The combination of a magazine provided with vertical guiding wallsand a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof. a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and movabletoward said opening, said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their overlapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having an opening therein alined verticallywith openings in adjacent articles, a vertically arranged memberprojecting into the alined openings in said articles, a dischargingmember having a part supporting said series and movable in twodirections from a position beneath the overlapping portions of saidarticles to positions beneath the parts of said articles extending fromtheir overlapping portions, a rotatable cam engaged with said member andhaving parts arranged to move said member in its two directions whensaid cam is turned in one direction. and means operative to turn saidcam.

9. The combination of a magazine provided with vertical guiding wallsand a discharge opening in the lower portion thereof. a series ofarticles supported one upon the other within said magazine and movabletoward said opening. said articles overlapping each other and extendingfrom their overlapping portions in alternate succession in differentdirections and each article having an opening therein alined verticallywith openings in adjacent articles, a vertically arranged memberprojecting into the alined openings in said articles, a discharg ingmember having a part supporting said series and movable in twodirections from a direction, a rotatable shaft, and gearing bepositionbeneath the overlapping portions tween said shaft and said cam. 10 ofsaid articles to positions beneath the In testimony whereof I affix mysignature parts of said articles extending from their in presence of twoWitnesses.

overlapping portions, a rotatable cam en- CHARLES A. ALDEN. gaged withsaid member and having parts arranged to move said member in its twodirections when said cam is turned in one Witnesses ALLEN V.ELLENBERGER, ELI B. BETUR.

